Chapter 7
"Do you have any sixes?" I asked, leaning back on the wall behind me.
"Go fish" giggled Anabelle happily at my responding pout.
It's been a whole week since I had breakfast with the whole Lennox family and the team. Over the week I was able to set up the perimeter of my new territory. Just a few square miles of land, since it's really just me, but I like it. I even found a map of the area when I was at the mall with Sarah. I keep it hung on my wall in the corner of the barn with my territory marked out with red erasable marker just in case I need to change something.
I claimed the little 'gardening' area to myself after I officially moved in there with the team. Will moved the tools and fertilizer to a different corner but I told him to keep the hay. It's surprisingly comfortable to sleep on.
And that's where we are at the moment, on my little loft sitting cross legged on my hay; playing Go fish. After finding out that the barn had an amazing AC system, I took opportunity of it and made it into my second favorite hangout space next only to the kitchen. No more hot and sweaty afternoons for me. Well... usually at least. Some days Will and the guys have daylong meetings and lock me out of the barn for the day and don't come out till the late hours of the night or at least I think. I spend most of my nights on patrol so I wouldn't know.
"Got any three's?" Bumblebee asked me, while staring intently at his cards. I sighed and handed him the two cards, reluctantly completing his set. He smiled in brief victory before we continued the game. We played for another agonizing hour. I only say that it's agonizing because I'm being beet by a five year old. Annabelle announced she was bored and so we ended the game with her victory.
As we were putting the devil cards away I glanced at my wrist watch distractedly. Taking a double take I realized I forgot that today I was going to go to the town and pick up a few things. Looks like I got to go and return Ann' to her mother.
"Ann go back to the house, I have to go to town." I said, jumping down from my perch and helping her down after. Suddenly I felt eyes on me. I looked up to see Bumblebee looking at me with exited surprise at the idea of leaving the property after being kept indoors all week. Poor Bee'. I smiled at him and turned to face the front of the barn and ask if he wanted to come with me but before I could speak I met the eyes of the rest of the team's surprised faces. Why the hell were they ease-dropping on my conversation? Shouldn't they be in one of their little meetings? Or ignoring my existence like usual?
Well, this is the first time I've left the Lennox house during the day since I've arrived. Even when Sarah and I went to the mall last week, it was after dark. So I guess it's to be expected that they be surprise at my sudden interest in leaving the property.
"Alone?" asked Ratchet, pushing his glasses up with his fingers. I raised an eyebrow at him, my eyes swimming over the rest of the team including Will briefly; lingering for half a second longer on Ironhide than the others. Who in turn stared back at me like I was hiding something. Ain't he a hypocrite? Why does he have to be so gods dammed appealing?
"Yeah?" I said, more like a question than anything. "That's the plan." I added.
"Why" Ironhide asked, speaking directly to me for what seemed like the first time since we met. His voice is deep and slightly raspy like he just woke up. Sexy as all hell. Damn him and his allure.
I made the awfully unneeded motion of tucking my hair behind my ears—as if I had any there—as a bit of a nervous habit; and tapped my lip with one of my clawed fingers trying to think of what it was that I was going to do out on the town. I have nothing to hide from them, it was just normal people stuff. "Well, I have to go to an herbalist and get some ingredients I need for my 'medicine'" I started, that was the important one. I ran out of my precious purple concoction last night, I have to make some more. "Then I'm going to the farmers market to do some groceries." I said, remembering that I'm almost out of oatmeal and blueberry soap. You gotta love hand crafted soap. I don't know if it's just me, but I swear the sent last longer than normal soap. Oh well...
Optimus cleared his throat, snapping me back to the present. "I believe he meant, why are you going alone" he rumbled all fatherly like. I blushed in slight embarrassment and gave an awkward forced laugh.
"Well Sarah's busy with the house today and I dough you guys are into shopping, so I just thought I'd go by myself." I said, avoiding direct eye contact with any of the men as I leaned on the balls of my fear back and forth. I should really stop behaving like a teenager when I'm around them. My reputation as the Alpha around here would be tarnished by the end of the month if I keep this up. I have responsibilities now, I should show it.
"Alright then, you can take the truck, Sarah's not going anywhere today anyway" Will said with a smile that has been playing on his face since he arrived a week ago. I grimaced slightly looking away to hide it. But my reaction didn't go unnoticed, damn their sharp eyes.
"No thanks Will, I can't drive. No licence" I said with a shrug. Yeah, I never got my licence when I turned sixteen. Not that I couldn't if I wanted to or my parents never allowed me too. I'm just a crappy driver, that and I'm not particularly fond cars anymore since my little accident two weeks ago. Giant metal death traps my grandmother calls them, and I'm starting to believe it with all the creepy energy coming from the ones in here.
"Why not? You're like twenty six, right?" Will asked, a confused expression coming to him; as the rest of the team were looking to me too, like curious damn George.
"Yeah, I am." I said with a confirming nod "And I never really needed one" I said, shrugging off the topic. Every one nodded to my brief explanation, probably not wanting to get on my bad side. Aww, they do care. Well, most of them; and unlike his teammates. Ironhide smirked at me, as if he knew I was spilling bull-crap. He knows, or suspects; the gorgeous bastard. I narrowed my eyes at his beautiful blue ones, daring him to voice his thoughts.
Will looked between the Demon and the smirking Autobot a few times thoughtfully. He couldn't just let Ren leave on her own and on foot like that. What if there's a Decepticon attack? She may be tough but she can't fight against a Decepticon for long before getting herself killed.
One of the Autobots should take her just to be safe. He ran his eyes around the rest of the team trying to determine who would do best as her guardian for the day. Ratchet would be the obvious choice being as he is her unofficial guardian assigned by Optimus. But he was important to the meeting they were having and it would be best if he stayed there. Bumblebee was busy with Annabelle, and god knows how hard it is to keep her occupied.
He gave Ren and Ironhide one last glance before an idea pooped into his head. He exchanged a nod with Optimus who apparently was thinking the same thing and called for their attention.
"Well in that case, Ironhide will take you" Will said, taking me from my little staring contest with said man instantly.
"What?" I asked, out of sheer reflex. I heard him perfectly.
I looked from will back to Ironhide to see that his smirk disappeared and in its place was a sexy pissed off frown. I smirked and had to stop myself from laughing at his mood change. Oh how the tables have turned. That's what you get for feeling all superior to me Hidy. Ya know what? That's a good nickname for him. His name is too much of a mouth-full to say all the time. But I'll keep that to myself until the time is right to bug him with names.
The man in question was about to protest the ludicrous idea but he was cut off by Optimus. "Yes, that would be best. This way you don't have to carry everything back." he said. At Boss man's words, Ironhide slouched in his seat a scolded teenager. Crossing his arms over his mighty chest and pouting the shit out of the floor. Alright that's enough teasing the man.
"That's not necessary; really, I'll be fine on my own." I said, having had enough of pouty-mic-pout-pout. My words were left to deaf ears as Hidy stood from his seat and started towards his black truck. I gave Will a silent plea to not make me get into one of the strange vehicles but he had already turned away. Stupid mortal.
With a defeated sigh I followed after Ironhide silently towards the line-up of energy exuding vehicles. We reached the Topkick, Hidy opened the passenger side door and waited for me to climb in before shutting the door and started rounding the truck to get to his side. The second he shut the door I was frozen with the almost over-whelming energy that washed over me. I gasped loudly; digging one of my clawed hands into the black leader seat while my other hand flew up to clutch my chest, trying to regulate my breathing. Even my tail hair was standing on end.
The energy I felt. The un-doughtebly strong and pulsing aura that now surrounded my very being. It confirmed my earlier thoughts of the cars being alive and kicking. I've never felt anything like it before. Not even my beast knew what was happening. This car and the others in the team are alive. How the hell did that happen? Cars don't just come to life by spell or otherwise.
But I couldn't bring myself to move. The muscles in my body were all glued in place. They were completely tense and at the same time felt like jelly. I could collapse in any second.
Un-benauxed to the epiphany ridden demoness. Just as Ironhide was at the front of the truck; he froze mid-step when he heard her gasp and his gaze snapped up her still form when she dug her claws into the seat. He watched tensely and in slight pain as she practically hyperventilated in her seat and looked around the cabin as if it just came out and bitch slapped her across the face. His eyes widened when it dawned on him what could have just happened.
She knew, and she was sure of it now. This would not end well if not properly handled. But he was at a loss on what to do. If he took her out of his alt form then she would question what had happened, but if he just pretended he didn't see her she will spend more time in his alt form and eventually question him anyway. That and the scared look on her face made him want march over, wrap his arms around her and make her fear go away.
What the frag was that? Why would he want to do such and gesture to an annoying little earthling like her? He barely knew the femme, and yet he found himself searching for her form with his eyes whenever he wasn't in meetings to assure himself that she was close. Why? Primus knows why. He just felt drawn to the small femme. To her sharp yet kind eyes, and soft everlasting smile that prevailed through anything.
He shook himself out of his thoughts and quickly com-linked Optimus, informing him of the situation. After a moment, Optimus ordered him to pretend nothing happened and to observe the femme for any odd behavior. As well as make sure that she knows that she is safe and he wouldn't hurt her. With a confirming nod he finished his trip around his alt mode and climbed in. Keeping his eyes glued to the femme until she noticed his presence.
I was brought out of my contemplation of my tense/jellied muscles by the sound of a door closing. I jumped slightly at the sound but kept my eyes on the dashboard. Trying to summon whatever power this thing held to help me calm down and not kill me.
"You're safe here, nothing will hurt you" drawled Ironhide's voice from beside me. My head snapped up to meet his eyes that I barely felt the movement. I looked into his impossibly blue eyes and surprisingly soft expression, searching for anything that would make his words a lie.
He wanted to comfort me. That's cute, he wants to assure me that whatever it was I was feeling wasn't going to hurt me. This is the first time I've seen him show any kind emotion to anyone but Annabelle and even that was a rarity in it of its self. This made me smile in spite of myself. He really was a nice guy, beneath all that macho-puff-daddy face.
"I know" I said hesitantly.
Suddenly, the energy surrounding my changed slightly; it swelled in a sense of protectiveness and I had to tear eyes away from him to cope with the familiar but long since missed feeling. I haven't felt this safe since I was back home with the pack. It was odd, it's only been a few month since I left; and I had already forgotten how nice it felt to feel safe and sound. I laxed the hand that was digging into the nice leather and my shoulders slouched. Leaning back into the seat, my eyes met his again as I sighed in meek acceptance. This thing, whatever it was wasn't going to hurt me.
With that resolved for now, I nodded at him. He returned my nod and started the already living truck and we were off.